Trump has the chance to shape the North Korea of the future | PennLive Letters

Defense Secretary James Mattis recently stated that North Korea must completely and verifiably de-nuclearize as a condition for American assistance.

Much ink has been spilled regarding where or not North Korea will or even should de-nuclearize. It is unrealistic and naive to expect Kim to forgo his nuclear weapons.

We can want Kim to de-nuclearize but it is not likely.

What is likely is an increase in cooperation in making North Korea more Capitalist. We should expect a more Vietnam and Chinese style thawing of relations. The U.S. will be permitted to invest in developing franchise establishments like KFC, McDonald's like has happened in other Communist countries.

What North Korea should do is learn from the Soviet Union's mistake. Anthony D'Agostino argued that it was Glasnost that undermined the Soviet Union.

Glasnost was Gorbachev's program to increase freedom and not increase capitalism and decrease freedom. It will be China's example that China will support in a North Korean model of future international relations.

Another analog would be German reunification with some major differences. North Korea is unlikely to allow itself to come under the political control of the South Koreans.

There will remain two distinct states. The goal should be to sign a peace treaty ending the war, disarm the Demilitarized Zone and increase cross-border travel and commerce.

North Korea could follow the USSR's model wherein the major state industries are given to a few top officials thereby creating an oligarchy.

These are examples of what has happened in the past. The future of North Korea will probably be a permutation of those outcomes.